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March 8, 1932. w. E. ERICKSON ROTARY CAR BUMPER 5, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov March 8, 1932.

w. E. ERICKSON 1,848A69 ROTARY CAR DUMPER Filed Nov 5, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I March 8, 1932. w ERlCKSCN 1,848,469

ROTARY CAR DUMPER Filed Nov 5, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ROTARY CAR DUMPER W. E. ERICKSON ROTARY CAR DUMPER March 8, 1932.

Filed Nov 5, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 z, I: I a 1 C I a l l/ [72' yerzzaf' Z/M/af/Zflldjm WM March 8, 1932. w. E. ERICKSON ROTARY CAR BUMPER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov 5, 1928 Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLARD IF ERIGKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LINK-BELT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ROTARY OAR DUMPER Application filed November 5, 1928. Serial No. 317,372.

My invention relates to improvements in car dumpers and has for one object to provide a new and improved car dumper and clamping means therefor. Another object is to provide a car dumper wherein the clamps are supported on the dumping side of the cradle and wherein the clamp supporting and operating mechanism are protected neverthe: less from interference and clogging by the dumped material. Another object is to pro 'vide atake-up mechanism which will contain the holding and lifting ropes tight at all times independent of the structure.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

'My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an end elevation with parts in section;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 2; '7

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing the cradle in the dumping position;

Figure 5 is a detail;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation;

Figure 8 is a detail of the equalizing mechan I V Figure 9 is a detail of the counterweight.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

A is a foundation of concrete, masonry or similar material. It contains a receiving hopper A into which the car to be dumped is discharged. Mounted onthe foundation and bridging the hopper in part is a supporting frame structure A there being oneat either end of the hopper.

Pillow blocks A A are mounted on this frame-work A and pivoted on these blocks are roller equalizing levers A each lever carrying two rollers A pivoted at each end thereof. A A are roller rings, one mounted on each two pairs of rollers A These roller rings are joined by the cradle frame-work A" and the rollers and frame-work form the cradle and are mounted for rotation in unison.

A A is a cable,'there being one for each roller ring. This cable is wound about the roller ring, being dead ended on each end on spring-held tension rods A sidable in lugs A on the roller rings. The bight of the cable is wound about a driving sheave A, there being one driving sheave at each end of the machine. A shaft A carries both driving sheaves and is driven by means of a train of gears contained within the gear casing A by an electric motor also contained within the casing. A is a solenoid brake which op erates in the usual manner to lock the shaft A against rotation when the power is turned off the motor so that the cradle is. always looked in whatever position it is left by the motor.

B is a transfer table contained within the cradle. This transfer table is provided with rollers B B traveling upon tracks B in the cradle so that the transfer table may move laterally. B B are abutments, one at each end of the cradle on the foundation adapted to be engaged by rollers B on lugs B one at each end of the transfer table. B B are compression springs interposed between the cradle and the transfer table tending to move the cradle toward the left as shown in Figure 1 to bring the car 13 on the tracks B on the transfer table against the cushion B on the side of the cradle. It will be understood that when the cradle is in the central loading position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the engagement of the roller B with the stops B centers the transfer table compressing the springs 13, whereas when the car is in the dumping position, the movement of the cradle from the loading toward the dumping position in a. counter clockwise direction permits the spring B to force the transfer table to the left at the beginning of the movement before the clamps which hold the car in place have been seated.

Located along the side of the cradle, where material dumped from the car flows, which we prefer to refer to as the down-stream side of the cradle, are a series of vertical guide columns C C, there being preferably four of 100 these though there .may be more'or less as the case may be. On the opposed side are somewhat similar guide columns C Slidable along each of the guide columns C are a series of clamps. A description of one of these suffices. for all since. they are identical.

Each clamp comprises. a relatively elongated sllding carriage member C extending down along the guide column G having at its upper endfaspivoe Gaupenwhi'ch is p'ivotedia clampv I member C, there being a sheave C conce'n trio with each pivot C Each clamp member C has at its outer end a sheave C anda-stlr-- rup C which engages. the guide-column C beingnecessary. that this width be merely suflicient to take care of slight variations in the dimenslons of the car, whereas'the free end ofthe clampmember C has a relatively extended; car engaging surface. G which surface must be sufiicient to engage the far edge ofthe carwhen thecar is-in engagement with the cushion no matter how wide. the car maybe. v v 1 is a' bellcranklever pivotedon the cradle frame. It has a short arm D adapted to rest against an abutment D and a long arm adapted to project outwardly away from the cradle. The arm D is held against the abut- A mentby the tension in-the cable D which is dead ended ,onione end on the long arm,

" passesupover a sleeve D on the counter- 'weight frame D thence down around a sheavefl)? on the counterweight D7,w thence up over a slmilar sheave D back to the cradle about a guide member D thence around a guide abutment 13 on the left hand side of,

the: cradle, thence up to the cradle where it is' dead ended on the. abutment D The relative 'position. of the partsis such that when the. cradle is intheupright position, the tension on this cable ID seats the bell crank lever arm-D?" against 7 the abutments As the cradle rotates'in a counter clockwise direction the free end of thebell crank lever 1D approaches the sheaves D and that part ofthe cable between the sheaves .D and the abutmentD Palso is paid'out toward the-sheaves D This permits the counterweight to descend along its guide andthetensionis main tained at? all times tending tohold thebell cranlclever-against its stop until the end of the bell crank lever rises above the sheaves D At this time while the tension in the cable lS-.IlOt '-l'eVeI'SBd; the effect of it onthe bell crank lever is reversed and tends to rotate the bell crank lever in a clockwise. direction, This is shown especially in Figure l. There we see that the cable extends direct from the abutment D to the sheave D 'and the cable r.

to exert a tension on the clamp holding cables as will'hereinafter appear. It will be noted that the angle about which the cable is bent in its engagement with the members D and D is very slight and it will be further noted that the cable will lie in a straight line out of engagement with the members-D? and D untiljustbefore the final dumping position is reached-so that up until a point approach ing the extreme end position'of the cradle for dumping, there isno interferenc'e with the tension on the cable .and the. counterw-eight is free to make its force felt upon the bellc'rank leverr The clamp holding cable is shown in dash doubleidot lines at E; It is deadendedon the short arm of. the" bell crank llever D passes,

down about asheave E on; the cradle,.thencc up over the sheave C on the freeencl of/the clamp thence across the clamp over. the sheave G5 and. thence down along the ,downstreamside of the cradle to the sheave E thence across beneathsthe car to the brake pulley ll upon which it is deadendedor. stopped. A. similar cable E shown for the purpose of convenience in dash lines, extends fromthe brakehpulley E upwardly and outwardly to the outside of the cradle where it is wound about the series of takeup blocks E f The blocks E? are fixed in position, the blocks E being supported in a stirrup ET carried .on a tensionbar E supported by a take-up spring E Since the sole function of-thiscable E. is to take up the slack and since no load comes upon itas a result of the dumping action',' the clamps being heldindependent of it, this cable may be of relatively light flexible material 1 so that the spring 13 required to take up the 'slaclcand 'drawthis cable over the take up blocks may be ofrelatively slight strength.

-The clamp is lifted by'means of aclamp lifting-cable whichis shown for the purpose of clearness in dot dash lines atF on Figure 2'. This cable is dead ended at the lower end of the clamp slide C at a point well below the top of the car,.passesup over a sheave F on the cradle thence down over a sheave F onthe cradle and thence longitudinally along the cradle to a sheave F The various cables F one Ifromeachclamp or-one from eac-htwo clamps if thecables go to eachcndof the cradle as is preferably the arrangement shown so thatthere is but a'singlecable F passing over the sheave F This cable as will be seen in Figure 1, extends from the sheave F down over a sheave F thence over the sheave F to the clamp lifting carriage F on the roller ring. This clamp lifting carriage travels along the'arcuate track F on the roller ring and is provided with a lug F adapted to engage an abutment F. The weight of the clamps exerts tension on the lifting cable and holds the carriage lug F against the abutment F".

. As the cradle is rotated in a counter clock-,

wise direction, the-sheave F approaches the abutment F and the clamp membersare permitted to descend under the influence of gravity controlled by the rotational speed of the cradle as the sheave F approaches the carriage until the clamps are seated on the car. Thereafter further rotation of the eradle causes no further'movement of the carriage along the tracks and the carriage then travels with the roller ring, lifting away from the abutment F On the return movement of the cradle the clamps are drawn up to the starting position asshown in Figure 2 by the engagement of the carriage with the abutment. As a result of this up and down action of the clamps the down movement toward the carbeing responsive to the weight of gravity the up movement away from the car being responsive to the drawing out of the'cable between the sheave F 5 and the stop F there is a change in the length of the clamp holding cable between its dead end point on the bell crank lever and the sheave or pulley E and it is to rotate this sheave or pulley and cause the cable to be always tight that the spring and take-up pulley arrangement is used. By this arrangement it will be noted thatthe clamp lifting cable and the sheaves and parts associated with it are all of them w ell'below the top of the car and entirely protected by the topof the car itselfagainst interference or variation in the flow of material from the car.

G is a cam lever having a roller G adapted to engage thecam track G This lever by means of a link G controls-a lever G which in turn operates a shaft G with associated levers G each of said levers carries a roller G engaging the brake lever G The brake band G encircles thebrake drum Gr associatedwith the brake pulley E The spring G tends to rotatethe brake lever in a clockwise direction to apply the brake band. The engagement of the roller G with the cam track Gr resists the spring G and keeps the brake in the off position until the cradle has operated in an angle suflicient to insure the seating of the clamps on the car. Thereafter the roller G rides off the cam, the brake is applied and then further rotation of the cradle and reversal of the power applied to the lever D exerts a tension in the clamp holding rope against the brake pulley as a fixed abutment. This tends as the slack is taken up in the cable to cause the short end of the bell crank lever to lift away from its abutment as the slack is taken up, and the weight of the counterweight working through the long arm of the bell crank lever is sufficient to carry the load of the car and its contents. If it should happen that the weight of the car and contents should be sufficient to overcome the counterweight the worst that could happen would be that the tension in the clamp holding cable would rotate the bell crank lever to bring it back against the abutment, no further movement of the counterweight or counterweight lever being possible. On the other hand if some foreign substance should be caught between the clamp and the top of the car and should later collapse, the weight of the counterweigh would cause additional rotation of the differential bell crank lever away from its abutment to take up the slack. By this arrangement the counterweight, I it will be noted is supported only on the counterweight cable and exerts no influence whatever upon the clamp raising or clamping holding cables except at the time when dumping is about to take place and when the function of the counterweight becomes essential. Other times the counterweight is free.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The car is run onto to the cradle which is held in the central or loading position by the solenoid brake. The operator as soon as the car is spotted opens the circuit through the motor. This releases the solenoid brake and causes the cradle to rotate in a counter cl0ckwise direction. As the cradle rotates away from the stop abutments the springs arefrce to force the transfer table to the left bringing the car into engagement with the side cushion. The movement of the cradle without movement of the clamp lifting carriage permits the clamp raising cable to be paid out and the clamps to move down toward the car. The spring take up exerting a constant tension on the clamp holding system maintains the clamp holding cables tight under initial tension as the clamps travel down. As soon as the clamps engage the car further movement of the clamp lifting carriage with respect to the roller rings ceases and further taking up of the clamp holding cables ceases. Thereafter the brake is applied on the takeup end of the clamp holding cables locking the brake sheave against rotation. Further rotation of the cradle reverses the direction in which the power is applied to the differential bell crank lever and the weight of the counterweight Working through that differ ential lever sets up an initial holding tension on the car clamps owing to the relative position of the lever and the sheaves associated with the counterweight guide the mechanical respect-to the leverapproaches its maximum advantage of the." counterweight except with toward the dumping position and there .is

opportunity for further rotation of the difoff operations will be reversed. First the power appliedv to the-difierential lever will be reversed to cause the short end of the levertoseatonits abutment. Then the pressure on the'brake band will be released; The clamp liftingcarriage will come into engage ment wi'th its stop and its movement with the cradlewill-be:prevented thus drawing out on the'liftingcable and raising the clamp above the "car. The spring take-up controlled clamph'olding cable will bepaid out, the transfer tablewill be centered againin the cradle and the empty car will then be: free of the-clamps centered on the cradle free from the cushion and can' be removed from the cradle, the next car can be handled in exactly the-same manner;

lclaimz v 1: In a car dumper, anclamp and means for moving it toward andfrom' a car, aclamp holding cable, an anchoragef'or one end thereof, a sheave about which the other end ofthe cable i s-wound, a brake adapted to hold the sheave against rotation duringthe dumping operation and a spring'take-up adapted to rotate the sheave and maintain an initial ten-' sion on the cable during the movement toward and seating of the clamp on the car. 7

2; In a cardumper, a clamp and means for moving-it. toward'fand from a car, a clamp holdingcable, an anchorage for one end thereot, a'sheave about which thef'otherend of the cable is wound, a brake adapted to holdthe sheave against rotation-during the dumping operation anda spring take-up adapted to. rotate'the sheave and maintain an initialtension on the cable during the movement toward'and seating of'the clamp on the car, the spring take-up comprising a plurality of opposed sheaves about which the cable travels beyond the first mentioned sheave and spring means for separating said take-up sheaves whereby relatively slight v movement ofthe sheaves provides for relatively extended cable travel. I

3; Ina carv dumpier, a car holding clamp movabletoward and. from the car, a clamp "holding rope associated with'the clamp,

means for taking up the slackin one end of the rope caused by clamp movement, means,

forfpositively locking the slack take-up means against movement and means associated with the other end of the rope for exerting an, increased tension thereon after the slack take up means have been locked, the

slack takeup means comprising a drum about which the cable is wound and a spring motor for rotating the drum to causewindin'g of the cable. r v l I v I 4. In a car dumper,:a car holding clamp movable towardand from the car,'a'clamp holding rope associated with the clamp, means for takingup the slack in one end of the rope caused by clamp movement, means for posi tively' locking the slack V take-up means against movement and means associated with the other end of the rope for exertin an increasedtension' thereon after the slac takeup means have been locked, the slack take-up means comprising a drum: about which the cable is wound and a spring motor forrotating the drum to cause winding of the cable, the spring motor includingla' cable wound about the drum, a pluralityof opposed sheaves about which the cable is wound and a springtending toseparate said'sheaves." 5. A car dumper comprising a cradle, a clamp extending acrossthe car and'movable up and down toward and from the car, means responsive to cradle rotation for raising th'e clamp against the'force of gravity when the cradle is-in the upright position and for causing the clamp to lower under the force of gravity as the fcradlerotatesa tension lever pivoted on the cradle, anabutment against which. the lever rests, a clamp holding cable extending from the lever in the direction of the abutment, encircling the clamp, a drum about which the end of the cable is wound, a brake and 'means responsive to cradle movement for lockingthe drum thereby. against rotation after the clamps are seated on a car and after the'cradle has made a predetermined angular excursion, atakeup cable wound about the drum and a spring motor adapted to exert a tension on said cable,.to take up the slack'by rotating the drunr as the clamp descends toward the car. 6. A car dumper comprising a cradle, a clamp extending across the car and-movable up and down toward'and from'thecar, means responsive to cradlerotation for raising the clamp against the force of gravity when the cradle is in the upright position and for causing the clamp to lower under the force of gravity as the cradle rotates, a tension-lever pivoted on the cradle, an abutment against which the lever rests, a clamp holding cable extending-from the lever in the direction of the abutment, encircling the clamp,-a"drum about which the end ofithe cable iswound, a brake and means responsive to cradle move ment for locking the-drum thereby against rotation'after the clamps are seated on a car and after the cradle has made a predeter -mined angular excursion, a take up cable wound about the drum and a spring motor adapted to exert a tensionon said cable to take up the slack by rotating the drum as the clamp descends toward the car, means associated with the tension lever for rotating it away from the abutment to exert a pull against the drum to increase the pull on the holding cable as the car approaches the dumping position.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State ofIllinois, this 19th day of October,

1928. WILLARD E. ERICKSON. 

